(tribal upbeat music)
- Sometimes referred to as the eighth continent
of the world, this island nation is home to more
indigenous species of plants and animals
than anywhere else in the world.
I am in Madagascar and this is AWR360.
(upbeat music)
Today, I am traveling with Ray Allen and the local
AWR workers to another remote village.
Located far from where we were stationed in the capital city
we found a mission pilot willing to fly our team to the city
nearest our destination.
The views from 14,000 feet
above the Madagascar mountains are amazing.
Upon landing, we were greeted with another long car ride
as we set off for the countryside.
(soft music)
We are nearing our destination now and we'll soon see Ranja.
Her story is different from any other I have ever heard
and I'm anxious to meet her and listen to her share
more in person.
(Malagasy dialect)
- [Translator] When I was 10 years old,
I became possessed by evil spirits.
(soft music)
My parents took me to a witch doctor and sold 10 cows
for my healing, but nothing worked.
When I was 16 years old,
I realized new spirits were entering me.
And they were worse than the first.
They spoke to me in many Malagasy dialects.
I saw them, but others could only hear them.
(soft music)
When my first child was born,
the spirit asked me to become a witch.
And when I refused,
they caused my baby to become sick and die.
(soft music)
Distraught, I agreed to do what the spirit wanted
if they would give us another child.
Nine months later, a daughter was born.
Over the next years, I became a powerful witch.
I had no control over my own life,
only doing what the spirits told me to do.
(soft music)
Through the powerful medicine I concocted,
many people were healed.
Miracles were performed
and I became a valuable member of my community.
I had power to make guns and bullets useless,
and in turn my village became very wealthy
because no one could steal our cows.
One time 27 armed men came to my house
but even though they tried to harm me with their weapons,
they became powerless before me.
I also had the ability to shut the mouths of crocodiles
and our once dangerous river became safe again.
At one point another set of spirits came into me.
They were from the water and had power to heal the sick.
They would take me to the bottom of a river
and there I would communicate with the spirits
for days at a time
not even coming up to the surface to breathe.
Even though I was very powerful, could heal people,
shut crocodiles mouths, and make bullets stop,
I was miserable.
- [Cami] One day Ranja met two young people
that told her a curious thing.
They said they prayed to God and gave him money
in return for answering their prayers.
Intrigued by this, Ranja went with them
to church the next Sunday.
She gave 1000 Malagasy Ariary
and waited, expecting God to answer her prayers,
but nothing happened.
(soft music)
The spirits continued to have control over Ranja's life
and she was often sick from their punishments.
Just when she was about to give up on there being a God
who cares, Ranja met a Seventh-Day Adventist man.
He told her about Jesus, the Sabbath and gave her a Bible.
Listening to this man brought peace to Ranja's heart
and she immediately started feeling better.
The spirits were not happy though, and warned Ranja
that bad things would happen if she left them.
Ranja decided to choose Jesus anyway and the spirits
kept their promise.
(upbeat bass music)
Ranja's house burned down and she lost everything
to the flames.
Angry neighbors accused her of bringing trouble upon herself
and the whole village.
The spirits tormented her day and night
discouraging her with such power that Ranja considered
giving in and remaining a witch.
But during this time something happened
that would change her life forever.
(birds whistling)
(rooster crows)
Ranja discovered an AWR broadcast.
This was just the encouragement she needed.
And as she daily listened to the radio,
her decision was made.
She would follow Jesus no matter what.
The spirits which had bound Ranja for so many years
did not leave without a fight.
They particularly did not like her listening to AWR
and warned her to stop.
But instead of heeding the spirits,
she continued listening to her radio
and found that as AWR played,
the spirits had no control over her.
Through much prayer, reading of scripture
and Adventist World Radio, the spirits left her once
and for all and she is now a free daughter of God.
The nearest church to Ranja was 80 kilometers from her home
but undeterred, she made the journey.
The pastor kindly studied with Ranja
and soon she was baptized
into the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
(soft music)
Today, Ranja leads out in a church she helped build.
An old woman now, but with energy and zeal beyond her years,
Ranja encourages others that true freedom from demons
comes only through Jesus Christ.
(soft upbeat music)
- [Translator] So much in my life has changed.
I listen to AWR every day and it has strengthened my faith
and taught me many things.
Miraculously, I am now able to read and write.
I love to share with others about Jesus
and the life of freedom I now live.
- Isn't it amazing how God is using the radio
to penetrate through the ranks of darkness
and is filling hearts with the light of His truth.
Thank you for your generous support
of the work of Adventist World Radio.
The ministry with no walls, no borders and no limits.
From Broadcast to Baptism, this is AWR360.
(soft music)